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Kino Lorber has released the first trailer for Reed Van Dyk’s “Atonement.”
The film will have its Gala Presentation Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and will be released on Oct. 2. It stars Kenneth
Branagh, Boyd Holbrook (“The Bikeriders”) and “Succession’s” Hiam Abbass.
“Atonement” follows the Khachaturian family, who were displaced from their home by U.S. military action during the early days of the Iraq War. They find refuge with relatives, gathering their three generations together under one roof. But when another bombing erupts nearby, they decide to return to their home across the city. As they navigate the war-torn streets of Baghdad, the family is trapped in a firefight between U.S. Marines and insurgents, and one Marine’s split-second decision devastates the family.
Many years later, haunted by his time in Iraq and aided by a New Yorker journalist, Lou (Holbrook) seeks to reconcile with the Khachaturian matriarch and her surviving family members.
The trailer glimpses snapshots of the film and its themes about immeasurable costs of war as it explores universal questions about guilt, redemption, and the nature of forgiveness.
In a statement to Variety, Van Dyk says, “When I first read The New Yorker story that inspired the film, it touched me in such a deep place. There was something profound for me about people on opposite sides of a tragic incident sitting down together and, almost in spite of themselves, reaching for each other. I felt immediately pulled to write about the trio of people at the center of this story.” He went on to say,
“Like every film, bringing this one to life has been a years long, uphill push. But it’s a collective push-of-the-boulder and when working alongside such extraordinary actors and producers and crew. Sometimes, one forgets they’re pushing at all — you can almost feel carried by the collective effort. We’re thrilled to finally share this film with audiences this Fall, and hope that this true story touches them as deeply as it did all of us.”
Abbass plays the family matriarch Mariam. Her character witnesses her family caught in the middle of the ambush. She adds, “While reading ‘Atonement,’ I was deeply moved by the way the characters’ journeys intertwine to portray the haunting suffering and heart-wrenching pain of people on both sides of a conflict, whereas forgiveness triumphs over war and the barbarity of its perpetrators.”
The film is based on a 2012 New Yorker article by Dexter Filkins, who ended up bringing an Iraq War soldier together with a family whose members the soldier’s squad had killed. In the movie, the Filkins character — fictionalized as Michael Reid — is portrayed by Branagh. Branagh says,“‘Atonement’ treats its challenging subject matter with respect, compassion, and originality. It is a unique piece of cinema, and I feel fortunate to have been involved.’”
Says Holbrook, “After reading Lou and the Khachaturian family’s story, I was so moved by the power of their courage to forgive and move forward in their lives. Reed’s heartfelt script made me even more compelled to bring their story to life.”
Watch the trailer below.
